Counterfeiting and Organized Crime

Proceeds of Crime and Confiscation

the possible application of Proceeds of Crime (PoC) legislation to the case of counterfeiting

the use of confiscation as a tool to fight organized crime involved in counterfeiting activities.

The first project was initiated by the Institute in collaboration with the International Chamber of Commerce (BASCAP - Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy). It sought to explore how sound legislation on confiscation of proceeds of crime and asset recovery can serve as an effective tool in counterfeiting cases. An analysis of the legislation in Australia, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom was carried out to identify existing best practices to effectively confiscate proceeds of intellectual property crime.

The second project is part of a wider cooperation between UNICRI and the Italian Ministry of Economic Development that is looking to evaluate confiscation as a tool to fight organized crime beyond the scope of PoC laws.